Investing in green energy innovation in Rotterdam

Loek Becker Hoff, Senior Account Manager Energy and Circular at InnovationQuarter, discusses how public money is being invested in driving the energy transition forward in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

In an exclusive video interview with Enlit Content Director Areti Ntaradimou during Enlit on the Road Rotterdam, Becker Hoff provides his insights into renewable project funding and the selection process involved.

As the Regional Economic Development Agency for the Province of Zuid-Holland, InnovationQuarter is tasked with strengthening the regional economy, offering business and investment opportunities for those in The Hague area.

And although they have to cover a breadth of sectors, the energy transition is a main focus, explained Becker Hoff.

“We feel that a push from our side to accelerate the [energy] transition is important. We work across sectors, such as in health and cybersecurity, but the energy transition is really where we step in.”

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The organisation, which is publicly financed, coordinates a number of funds, such as the energy transition fund of Rotterdam, which is in place to inject much-needed fiscal support for active projects working to reach net zero targets.

Also available, according to Becker Hoff, is “a different type of funding for projects, like setting up field labs for companies to test their innovations…and to develop even further.”

When it comes to project selection, he states, the renewables scene is ripe with opportunity.

“We see great momentum with offshore wind, which is on the agenda of the [Dutch] national government to increase capacity, which makes it a safe bet. And increasingly solar is also very relevant. While there are solar parks in place, we need to add more in residential and industrial areas. Those are the two main topics.”

And, as is the nature of renewables, storage doesn’t fall far behind. “Next to renewables is storage in any type of form. We need to invest in that on a big scale as well, on the industrial and household sides to store energy and alleviate our grids.”

Make sure to find out more from this Enlit on the Road Rotterdam video on the place of green hydrogen within the investment landscape and how funding is needed alongside deregulation to enable innovation.

More insights from Enlit on the Road – Rotterdam:
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How the Port of Rotterdam is enabling the energy transition with hydrogen